Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.
ConfuciusRead
The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A wise person remains vigilant and aware of potential risks, even in times of comfort.
This quote by Confucius emphasizes the importance of being mindful of possible dangers and challenges, even when one is in a safe or comfortable situation. It suggests that true wisdom and superiority come from an awareness that complacency can lead to vulnerability and challenges can arise unexpectedly, encouraging proactive thinking and preparedness.
Themes
WisdomSafetyVigilancePreparednessDanger
In practice
Example use cases
During a team meeting, when discussing how to handle future challenges, one might quote this to stress the importance of being prepared.
More from Confucius
All quotes βEarnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license.
ConfuciusRead
When you see a good person, think of becoming like her/him. When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points.
ConfuciusRead
Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.
ConfuciusRead
The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.
ConfuciusRead
Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.
ConfuciusRead
Similar quotes
One must be ruthless with one's own writing or someone else will be.
John BerrymanRead
My failures may be my greatest successes. It is in failure that I have often drawn closer to God, learn to depend more on Him than myself, gained self-knowledge, and seen things in their right perspective.
Mother AngelicaRead
Stupidity is active in every direction, and can dress up in all the clothes of truth. Truth, on the other hand, has for every occasion only one dress and one path, and is always at a disadvantage.
Robert MusilRead
We can't reach old age by another man's road.
Mark TwainRead
It is natural to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes to that siren until she allures us to our death.
Gertrude SteinRead
We all have this place in us, a place of strength, harmony and wisdom, but most of the time we don't live there How can we course-correct faster? How can we encourage each other to live in that place more?
Arianna HuffingtonRead